Apparatus for using powdered fuel.



APPARATUS fof USING POWDIERED FUEL. Arrucmonfnen 1,111.31. |916.

1,316,399. Pandsept. 16, 1919.

INyEN-on.

ATTORNEYS.

WITNESS Cgi WILLIAM H. STEVENS, or Aiireon'e, rnnnsmvane.

APPARATUS FR USING OERED FUEL..

To all whom t m 113/ concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H, STEVENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Using Powdered Fuel,` of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to 'apparatus for using powdered fuel such as coal and the like. rI`he invention has for its primary objects the provision of an improved powdered fuel utilizing means, (l) which can be advantageously applied in locomotive practice, (2) which can be applied without a wide departure from standard locomotive con struction, which provides for an exceedingl y long travel of the burning fuel and prod-- uets of combustion thus insuring complete combustion and a minimum temperature et the gases before they leave the fire-boa, and (Il) which utilizes the heat of the smoke bei; to increase the etiiciency of the apparatus. Certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure l is a longitudinal section through a locomotive boiler equipped with my in vention; Fig. 2 is a front end elevation or 'the construction; Fig. 3 is a side elevation oi the feeding means used in connection with the construction of Fig. l; Fig. i is a seetion through a smoke-box equipped with a modified construction; and Fig. 5 is a front view of the construction of Fig. 4i, the end plate of the smoke-box being removed in both Figs. 4L and 5.

Referring to Fig. 1, the reference numeral l indicates a locomotive boiler provided at the iront end with the smoke box 2 endet the rear end with the fire-box 3, the smoke and tire boxes being connected by the usual fire-tubes 4. The fire-box preferably is suiev stantially closed. a refractory wall 5V constitutiugthe bottom of the fire-boli;

Extending longitudinally of the boiler and smoke box are the corrugated combustion ues (l, such fines being preferably two in number although this may be varied to moet requiren'ients. These luesl are preferably lined with a refractory coating 8 vand have their rear ends opening into the firen box while their front ends are turned downwardly as indicated at 9 and receive the ends of the coal supply pipes 10.

These coal supply pipes preferably lead Speclcaton o Letters Patent.

from Ithe hot gases therein.

Application led March 31, '1915. Sel'iul. $27,982.

to the tender and are provided) with coal feeding means of the typeA indicated in Fig. 3. Air is supplied toJ the tubes i0 by means of a fan ll operated :from a motor., not shown, and coal is supplied ,to the tubes l@ by means of 'the screw conveyors l2 leading from the hopper 13. The front ends of the tubes l() are extended into the ends of the lues 6 in the form of nozzles le, a space is preferably provided between the downn turned ends of the tluesand the. tubes 3.0, thus permitting an iniow of air at these points.

lf desired an additional supply-oi iuel may be provided in the lire-.bon by means et the pipes l5 leading .trein the pipes i@ and entering the iront end ci he tire-boit at the lower side thereof. Tiere pipes are n vided with cuto valves lo for conti or cutting off the supply' of coal and air so that this supply means may be regulated or thrown out of action as desired.

The construction provides for a long path for the burning fuel and gases 'so that a thorough combustion is insured, and a maximum amount ,of heat is abstracted from the gases before they pass into the fire-tubes. Part of the combustion occurs in the lues and part in the firebox, and the dues serve to add to the heating surface of' the furnace. The 'fan for feeding the coal can be made relatively'small since the draft fromv the locomotive smoke box produces a suction in the tire-box and in the ilues tending to draw the airv and coal through the tubes 1() and thus reducing the work required from the fan. rThe passage of the lues through the smoke-box 2 increases their eliieiency since a considerable amount of heat is absorbed Other advantages incident to the construction. willbe apparent'to those skilled in the art.

'l Figs ai .and 5 illustrate a modication wherein an air heating pipe l? is rovided in the smoke box 18. This air heating tube has an inlet end 19 leading from the atmosphere outside the smoke box and has two discharge ends 19 (Fig. 5) leading into the iiues 20, theflue construction in other tieula-rs being the same as that in Fig. il. The coal is brought to the ends of the iiues 20 by means of the tubes 2l leading through the extensions 22 of the dues, the'outer ends of these extensions being closed as indicated at This arrangement adds somewhat to the efficiency of the device since the air which' is utilized for combustion in they lines Zil'is highly heated in the pipe 3.7 which coils heel; and' forth in the highly heated smoke box.

ifi/'liet l claim is:

l. rlhe eonnbinntion with e locomotive boiler having e smoke box, e irelbox and the usual' connecting ire-tubee, of a reletively Smell combustion flue extending through the smoke box end then longitudinally through the boiler beneath the liretubesend opening` into the Firebox, ineens for supplying a mixture of powdered ooel end air to the front enol of the flue, end a, supplemental eir inlet to the ue et the front end thereof.

The combination with e locomotive boiler having e smoke box, e firebox end the usuel connecting fire-tubes, of e relatively smell combustion ilue extending through the smoke box and then longitudi- I nelly through the boiler beneath the ihretubes end opening into? the {ire-box, e pow* tiered coul and nir supply pipe leading fon wordly from the rem: end of the boiler end discharging into the forward end of the )flue :ind e supplemental eir inlet to the flue et the front end thereof.

3. The combination with e locomotive boiler having e smoke box, a ire-box and the usuel eonneoting {ire-tubes, of e releneieeee ltively' snall combustion flue extendingA iboiler, having e smoke-box, e fire-box and the usuel connecting fire-tubes, of a, rele.

tively small combustion flue extending through the smoke-box and then l0ngitudinelly through the boiler beneath the firetubes and openinzefy into the fire-box,V seid combustion flue being of corrugated formation and lined with refractory materiel, and means for supplying n mixture of powdered coal and :tir to the front end of the ue.

5. The combination with e locomotive i boiler having fetsinoke-box, e fire-box and the usuel connecting ire-tubes, of e releltively smell combustion -lille extending through the smoke-box and then longitudi# nell5v7 through the boiler beneath the fire-- tubes and opening into the fire box, and ineens for supplying e mixture of powdered coal end air to the front end of the tine.

WILLiAM H. STEVENS. A 

